I come to another vital question that I have for you in my community of Belsize.
Naturally, as an Independent I bear the whole cost of campaign costs to deliver my message out to you, unlike the party machines of the political parties who have big donations and large national volunteer network (like all self perpetuating bodies).
For local elections such as this here London in May'14 there is a cap on expenditure that is £600 plus 5p per registered elector. So here in Belsize ward that is around £1000 that represents the maximum that is permitted under law for each candidate on campaign related costs.
Naturally as your nominated Independent candidate I must compete at same level as all the political parties to have a winning chance.
With this in mind I ask all who wish to support me to help in any one of these ways.
The most direct way is to forward all my Twitter feeds, Blog links and "tell" all your friends and associates in Belsize. I call this the virtual community network (zero cost!) I love this method best because it is free to all, saves on CO2 and land-fill sites and keeps your letter boxes empty!
However, I recognise that not all in our wonderful leafy Belsize community has or wants access to Social Media or the Internet (yes I have canvassed many who do not have a home computer!)
For these folks that wish to support me to become your first "Independent" councillor for Belsize ward on 22nd May I make another suggestion of the help that I need.
Direct hands-to-deliver your street or for the super-fit, streets! It could just be your building (there are a large number of buildings with population sizes that of a street!
Naturally, I will be through my agent be meeting all expenses and making sure that I keep well within the legal campaign expenses limit. So if any more of you wishing to help me get elected wish to make donations in the classic way, that would be also fantastic too. Running a campaign like this is expensive.
This can be either helping with money donations towards these costs or material donations in providing printing facility to me (In this case I would ask that you estimate a cost of providing such materials so that information can be used later by my agent in completing the expenses declaration).
Again in what ever way you are able to help in my campaign to become the first Independent councillor in Belsize would be very welcome.
Even if you only just want to drop by and say hi to me in one of the local cafe shops in our Belsize and offer good luck that is a big help.
See you on the campaign, apologies in advance when I call at your home and push your door bell just as you are about to have dinner, jump in or out of the bath or put the kids to bed, yes I know having an 8 soon to be 9 year old daughter how inconvenient canvassing and campaigning can be to people!
